How do you fight through cravings?
CTMike1980mfp
Posts: 17 Member
Curious what works for you when you want to eat that donut, fast food order, or any other high calorie, high fat, high sugar food, but don't go through with it? What foods do you keep on hand to avoid falling into the temptation?
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I make sure I eat regularly and well - a variety of all the foods I like, don't demonize any foods, don't keep around trigger foods, and then just tolerate the cravings. Yes, it take some practice.6
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kommodevaran wrote: »I make sure I eat regularly and well - a variety of all the foods I like, don't demonize any foods, don't keep around trigger foods, and then just tolerate the cravings. Yes, it take some practice.
This.
But also, knowing that you can give in every once in a while helps, too.
Like last night? I had pancakes. A LOT of pancakes. But I've been talking about having pancakes since August.
I didn't want to blow my blowout on something overpriced and under flavored, though, so I made pancakes at home, just the way I like them, with carefully logged syrup and totally blew past my calories. But that's okay. The point is that I could have had pancakes about six times since I first decided I wanted pancakes. I held off, to make sure it was something I ACTUALLY wanted, and then didn't feel guilty AT ALL about my DECISION.
I'll make up for it by continuing to have a deficit. Pancakes every couple of months won't make me regain all my weight. I didn't gain it all from one meal.7 -
I tell myself I can have it Friday (a few days down the road). If I still want it then, I make it fit within my calories. Many times I don't want it any more. Telling myself "not right now" instead of "no" seems to work, usually.
If I have room in my calories that same day, I'll have it right then.
I also pre-log my days before I ever have breakfast. That way I'll know if I have room or not.6 -
I eat a piece of bread and butter (with low-cal jam if I need sweetness).0
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For me the main thing is to not eliminate the "bad" foods I love from my diet and allow myself treats. This way when I get the urge to eat them I can remind myself that now is not the time to have them but it will be soon! Also, I'm addicted to junk food snacks so I only purchase single servings when it's time to treat myself. After I eat that donut, I don't have five more waiting for me in the kitchen.4
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I try not to keep my "trigger foods" in the house. For me, that means potato chips and chocolate. If I find myself craving something specific, I just tell myself, I can have it, but I have log it before I eat it. A lot of times, logging the calories and seeing that I am over for the day, backs off the craving. If I stick to my calorie limit for the week, however, I always allow myself a treat meal every week or a treat snack a couple of times a week, depending on my activity level. For instance, knowing that I can have a hot fudge sundae at the end of the week, keeps me from nibbling on Halloween candy or cookies at the office during the week.
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I have a sweet tooth. I keep around 70 calorie packs of fruit snacks. This way I can indulge my craving without blowing my calorie goals out the water for the day.0
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I like to use a good protein drink like Isagenix or Dr Axe. it helps fill in any nutrition gaps and the protein fills me up so Im less hungry.
Also on the web these days there is usually a recipe to make a high protein, high nutrition, low glycemic version of what you are craving. By the time you go to the store, get the ingredients, and make it, you probably forgot your original craving
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CTMike1980mfp wrote: »Curious what works for you when you want to eat that donut, fast food order, or any other high calorie, high fat, high sugar food, but don't go through with it? What foods do you keep on hand to avoid falling into the temptation?
First and foremost and this will come in time I hope for you OP... stop labeling foods like this.
Work with calories long enough, you will see you can fit this in your daily calories sensibly and still stay on track to lose weight. Also pre-planning/logging allows you to enjoy a temptation if you have the calories left to do so.
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I always try to balance my food intake. If I know I'm going to eat at a restaurant, I make sure I eat healthy or light the rest of the day. If my son wants a donut, burger or ice cream, and I have to take him (therefore I know I will have one too.....) I make sure I exercise at least for an hour and burn at least 400 calories that day.
In order for me to avoid all that junk food, I do not have it at home. I don't buy ice cream or processed foods f/example. You can have cheat days, as long as you don't make everyday a cheat day and you are mindful about your eating habits and exercise. 3 -
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CTMike1980mfp wrote: »Curious what works for you when you want to eat that donut, fast food order, or any other high calorie, high fat, high sugar food, but don't go through with it? What foods do you keep on hand to avoid falling into the temptation?
Basically I don't take an all or nothing approach. It is unrealistic to think your diet is going to be this 100% wholesome thing all of the time. If I feel like having a donut, I can typically fit that in somewhere...and I have one, not five.
When I started years ago, soda was my thing...I didn't just one day say, "no more soda"...I knew it was an issue in my diet so I weened myself down. I was drinking 3-6 sodas per day, so initially I just cut it back to 1 per day...then down the road it was every other day...then it was a few days per week...then it was 1 treat soda per week...and then I eventually just stopped and I may have 3 full sugar sodas in an entire year and I don't really crave them.
You have to understand that this is all a process...this isn't just a flip the switch one day kind of thing. You have to embrace the process and work at it everyday...identify areas of your diet that are good and areas for which you can do better and work on this bit by bit...let your diet evolve, don't try to force some overnight overhaul of your entire life.6 -
Soul_Radiation wrote: »Cutting back on alcohol is also a winning idea I think for reducing cravings/being able to deal with them. Just...keep that reasonable, too. If you drink 6 a week...drink 3 instead. If you drink 12...drink 6. Then later...drink 3. etc...
But...it's harder to make the best decisions if you've had a glass of beer or wine. Again...exercise helps with that, too imo...if you're lifting or out walking or whatever you're doing for exercise you aren't drinking beer and tearing up a bag of cheetos.
Curious, did you lift weights or do cardio while losing your weight? Also, what weekly weight loss goal did you start off at, 1lb, 1.5 lbs, 2lbs?1 -
CTMike1980mfp wrote: »Soul_Radiation wrote: »Cutting back on alcohol is also a winning idea I think for reducing cravings/being able to deal with them. Just...keep that reasonable, too. If you drink 6 a week...drink 3 instead. If you drink 12...drink 6. Then later...drink 3. etc...
But...it's harder to make the best decisions if you've had a glass of beer or wine. Again...exercise helps with that, too imo...if you're lifting or out walking or whatever you're doing for exercise you aren't drinking beer and tearing up a bag of cheetos.
Curious, did you lift weights or do cardio while losing your weight? Also, what weekly weight loss goal did you start off at, 1lb, 1.5 lbs, 2lbs?
I would recommend some combination of both...cardio for your cardiovascular health and resistance training to preserve muscle mass...when you diet, you lose muscle along with fat...resistance training lessens the amount of muscle mass you will lose.1 -
I just do keto and drink two or three keto coffees throughout the day. Takes my cravings away.0
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I try to identify the core craving—is it for sugar? Salt? Sour? Fat? Dairy? Carbohydrate? Something crunchy? Chewy? Protein? When I can do that, I can satisfy the craving with a super-small amount of food that meets the criteria. If I don’t identify the core craving, I can easily eat my way through the fridge and pantry like a locust on legs, never quite satisfying the craving. (I agree that a varied diet would keep cravings to a minimum, but I have a major food intolerance and a major food allergy. My food options are quite restricted.)3
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Pickles, dill, zero calories. I buy the large containers from Sam's.0
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Have whatever your craving but log it. Then understand you may have to cut down or cut out other things through the day0
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